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Concentration in Electrical Engineering

M.S. Program information:

Electrical Engineering (EE) Concentration

Two plans are offered for the M.S. degree: a thesis option and a comprehensive examination option. For either option, students are required to develop a complete program of study with advice from their faculty advisor. The graduate advisor must approve the study plan. Part-time study toward the M.S. degree is available. The program of study must be completed within four calendar years from first enrollment.

Plan I: Thesis Option

The thesis option requires completion of 48 units of study; an original research investigation; the completion of an M.S. thesis; and approval of the thesis by a thesis committee. The thesis committee is composed of three full-time faculty members with the faculty advisor of the student serving as the chair. Required undergraduate core courses and graduate seminar courses, such as EECS 290, EECS292, EECS293, EECS294 and EECS295, may not be counted toward the 48 units. No more than four units of EECS299 and three units of undergraduate electives may be counted toward the 48 units. Up to 12 of the required 36 units may be from EECS296 (M.S. Thesis Research) with the approval of the student's thesis advisor.

At least seven core or concentration courses in the EE concentration must be completed. (A list of courses appears at the bottom of this page.)

Plan II: Comprehensive Examination Option

The comprehensive examination option requires the completion of course units and a comprehensive examination. Also, students should take at least 12 courses. Only one EECS299 can be counted if the EECS299 course is 3 or more units. Undergraduate core courses and graduate seminar courses, such as EECSn290, EECS292, EECS293, EECS294 and EECS295, may not be counted toward the 36 units and 12 courses requirements. No more than three units of EECS299 and six units of undergraduate electives may be counted. In fulfillment of the comprehensive examination element of the M.S. degree program, students will complete two term paper-length reports on the current state-of-the-art of two separate technical fields corresponding to the concentration area. The term papers are completed as part of the end-of-course class requirements for EECS294 (Electrical and Computer Colloquium), two units of which are needed to fulfill degree requirements. Each term paper must be completed with a grade of B or better; and each Colloquium section used to meet M.S. degree requirements must be completed with a satisfactory grade. Both Colloquium sections must be completed at the student's first opportunity upon enrollment in the ECE graduate program.

Students enrolled in the Electrical Engineering (EE) concentration who choose the Comprehensive Examination option must select one of the following Plans of Study.

Circuits & Devices Plan of Study:

At least 4 courses from the following list must be completed: EECS270A, EECS270B, EECS277A, EECS277B, EECS280A, EECS285A

At least 5 additional courses from the list of EE concentration courses must be completed.

Systems Plan of Study:

At least 4 courses from the following list must be completed*: EECS240, EECS241A, EECS250, EECS251A, EECS260A, EECS267A.

* If all six courses are not offered in an academic year, students who graduate in that year can petition to replace the courses that are not offered by EECS242 and/or EECS244.

At least 5 additional courses from the list of EE concentration courses must be completed.